Welcome to Monday, April 18th, in anticipation of a healthy nine-game slate. I hope everyone had a great weekend, and let’s try and start this week off right with some NBA DFS success. A quick DFS tip of mine – remember that contest selection is important. I prefer cash tournaments and single-entry GPP’s as the 150 max entries will have too many professionals that can max out their lineups in them. Understand what you’re hoping to get out of playing DFS and go from there.  

Early on, I like the value offered by the Jazz and Pistons, and the Suns/Bucks game should be high scoring. As always, follow injury news, as there is potential for some major value to pop up late, especially from the Celtics. 

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Most Value Per Dollar

Below is a list of the top players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. 

Shake Milton (PG – PHI) $4,100
With four different 76ers currently questionable, if any of them are ruled out, especially Seth Curry or George Hill, minutes and usage will open up for Milton. The 76ers guard is due for at least 20 minutes, and in a pace-up spot against the Warriors, there will be more possessions and opportunities for Milton to tally up FanDuel points. Milton can potentially return the highest value on the slate and be used in GPP’s or cash lineups.  

Tristan Thompson (C – BOS) $4,400
With Robert Williams out and a couple of players questionable, there is a lot of room for Tristan Thompson to reach his ceiling tonight. While his usage rate is far from consistent, Thompson will have to play high minutes in an excellent matchup. With the options at center available, there won’t be high ownership on the Celtics center, and he will be useful for GPP and cash lineups. 

Tyler Cook (PF – DET) $3,500
With the number of injuries hitting the Pistons right now, someone has to step up. This is a bit more of a risky play, so I would recommend Cook as a GPP play only. Monitor lineup news, but I expect Cook to earn the start tonight, and the Cavaliers offer a nice matchup for him to return some value. Even if he doesn’t start, I can easily see him playing 20+ minutes and return 5.5X value. Isaiah Stewart ($4,800) is another Piston in a phenomenal spot to produce with no Mason Plumlee. 

Hamidou Diallo (SG – DET) $3,500
This is another Pistons player who can return some big value, and I expect him to start. After missing the last two games, Diallo should play more than 20 minutes, and he has a ceiling of 35 points. He’s not as risky as Cook and is a bit more proven. Again, the matchup against the Cavaliers is a good one, and with Diallo at such a low price, you will have plenty of more opportunities to spend up for the big players.  

Keldon Johnson (SF – SA) $4,200
Monitor Spurs lineup news, but the normal rotation should be back tomorrow. With that being said, Keldon Johnson should still earn the start. I see Johnson as more of a GPP play because his usage is not that consistent. He should still play 25+ minutes and has the capability of reaching a ceiling of 35 points.     

Thaddeus Young (PF – CHI) $4,600
I’m usually not one to support Bulls fantasy players, but with Zach LaVine out, the usage of the remaining players will see a boost for the rest of the season. Thaddeus Young is who I would target as a prime candidate to reach value with his low price. The Bulls forward has been up and down up late, scoring 6.4, 28.2, and 15 FanDuel points in his respective last three games. But I am willing to take the risk here with Young, and I can see him returning 6X value against a potentially depleted Celtics lineup. 

Cameron Payne (PG – PHO) $3,700
Payne has consistently been playing 20+ minutes despite not being a starter, and he’s worth the shot at $3,700. When he plays, he produces, as he has tallied at least 19 FanDuel points in four of his last five games. But he still can return extra value because, in those same five games, he’s had a 28.7 and a 32.5 fantasy point outing. 

Payton Pritchard (PG – BOS) $3,600
If Jaylen Brown and/or Kemba Walker miss tonight’s game with their illnesses, Pritchard will be a fantastic play. Remember that Evan Fournier is also injured, so someone has to pick up the guard minutes, and I expect Pritchard to do just that. However, even if he does see the floor for 25+ minutes, Pritchard isn’t exactly the most guaranteed producer, so I would still only use him in GPP’s. 

Bojan Bogdanovic (SF – UTA) $5,400
Considering Donovan Mitchell is out with an injury, the entire Jazz team will see a usage boost. I decided to write about Bogdanovic because he has been playing quite consistently of late, and he is another option for the always difficult small forward position to fill. He has played at least 33 minutes in each of his last four games and has produced 29+ FanDuel points in each game during that same time frame.   

Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Russell Westbrook (WAS) $11,500: In my last article, I spoke on how you should avoid Westbrook, but the guy just keeps producing. With Beal still seemingly nursing an injury, it is the Russell Westbrook show, and the Thunder not only offers a fun “revenge” narrative but a solid matchup as well. 
• Nikola Jokic (DEN) $11,100: With the ample amount of value in this slate, Jokic gives you a perfect spend-up opportunity. Do I really have to say more? Jokic can still return value, considering he is facing off against the Grizzlies and is someone who could seriously break the slate.  
• Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): $11,100: Giannis is another “do I really need to explain my reasoning” kind of guy. The Greek Freek is also capable of breaking the slate, and you could potentially fit all three of these studs in some of your lineups while filling out the rest with the bigger value options. 

Notable Players to Fade

• Steph Curry (GS) $10,700: For someone dealing with an injury against an elite defense, $10,700 is way too risky for me to put Steph in any of my lineups. It is a fun narrative that he will be playing his brother, but there are simply better options for me to go to at the point guard spot.     
• Jrue Holiday (MIL) $8,000: Not only do I expect tonight to be the Giannis show, but I really can’t justify this price tag for Holiday, especially against Phoenix. Like I said previously, there are plenty of other options at this position, so you can do better than either of these guards.

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @ryancoleman_98.